ExxonMobil, BP, DuPont and Veolia are among the 12 private parties that will pay more than $3.5 million as part of a settlement with the EPA related to the Metro Container Superfund Site in Trainer, Pennsylvania.

 

The 12 settling parties will pay an estimated $2.5 million for the investigation and an estimated $1 million to remove contaminated soil at the superfund site. They will also reimburse the EPA for its oversight costs.

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The release of the tenth report in The World’s Worst Pollution Problems series - “The New Top Six Toxic Threats: A Priority List for Remediation” - issued by the nonprofit Pure Earth and Green Cross Switzerland. The new report updates the top six toxic threats from 2010, with some surprising changes in 2015. 

 

The report spotlights six pollutants—common around the globe—that pose an outsized and preventable threat to human health. These toxins affect the health of more than 80 million people resulting in serious illness, especially in children. 

 

The report will be available for download after the teleconference at www.worstpolluted.org, where you can also read past reports. 

 

US and Alaska state officials will no longer seek an additional $92 million from Exxon Mobil to pay for environmental cleanup and restoration stemming from the massive Exxon Valdez oil spill 26 years ago.

 

In court documents filed on Wednesday, the state of Alaska and US Department of Justice said they were dropping remaining judicial action and would no longer seek the additional money from Exxon due to the recovery of several species, including ducks and sea otters, living in Alaska’s Prince William Sound.

 

“Although we will not be pursuing Exxon for additional damages, our decision today does not close the book on lingering oil,” Alaska Attorney General Craig Richards said in a statement.

 

The tanker Valdez ran aground in March, 1989, dumping about 11 million gallons, or 260,000 barrels, of crude oil into the icy waters off the southern coast of Alaska. The spill was at the time the largest ever in US waters, and one of the worst human-caused environmental disasters.

 

MPC has evolved into an agile and professional responder, attending emergencies, on both water and land, and taking care of customers’ industrial needs with equal expertise. “We expect our new location to allow us to better serve our current and prospective West Michigan customers,” said Charlie Usher, MPC’s President. MPC’s services encompass emergency response for oil and hazardous materials releases, mercury and PCB decontamination, and industrial services—including tank and pit cleaning, waste hauling, water blasting, plant shut-downs, lab packing, confined space entry and rescue, asbestos inspections, and training and compliance services.

The company already has working relationships with several environmental contractors in the region and a project manager based in Wayland. Hiring of dedicated staff has started, and the new facility is open. MPC plans to supplement with existing team members and additional equipment as its customers’ needs require.

Dave Usher, MPC’s founder and Chairman, has said, “Nothing is more important to us than assuring we complete the job - whether it is cleaning up an oil spill or removing hazardous materials - to the satisfaction of those who seek our help.”

Dave often reminds the staff of his first oil spill clean-up in Dearborn in the ‘60’s, when the company was not yet then in the business of emergency response cleaning up oil spills, but his customer needed help—he responded, the customer was happy, and the spill response industry was born.

MPC’s new facility is located at 11320 E. Lakewood Blvd., #11, Holland, MI 49424. Emergencies should be reported and day-to-day work scheduled by calling MPC’s 24-hour number, 313-849-2333 or 800-521-8232. More information about MPC is available at www.marinepollutioncontrol.com.